Various Artists – I’ve Always Been Crazy: A Tribute To Waylon Jennings

It’s usually the artists with the most distinctive styles and the most indelible personalities who receive the tribute album treatment. This goes double for acts honored by multiple tributes: Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams. Perhaps that rule-of-thumb helps explain the frequent weaknesses of these projects: The more tribute-worthy an act is — the more singular the sound, the more magnetic the charisma — the greater the temptation to pay tribute via mere mimicry.

The recipient now of two tribute albums, with others likely on the way, the late Waylon Jennings is about as dominating a figure as country music has known. So it’s a nice surprise that most of the acts on I’ve Always Been Crazy refuse to settle for simply aping their honoree. Metallica’s James Hetfield absolutely Scorches “Don’t You Think This Outlaw Bit Done Got Out Of Hand”, and Dwight Yoakam rides “Stop The World And Let Me Off” as far as Bakersfield. John Mellencamp transforms “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way” into what sounds like the B-side to “Paper And Fire”, and Alison Krauss offers a slowed-down “(I’ll Do Anything) You Asked Me To” which makes clear just how painful a pledge that can turn out to be.

Even an out-of-tune Jessi Colter succeeds with “Storms Never Last” by making it rock harder than expected. Travis Tritt, Brooks & Dunn, Hank Williams Jr., Pinmonkey, Stargunn, Andy Griggs, Ben Harper, Deana Carter and Sarah Evans do themselves and Jennings proud, too. Even Waylon himself makes an appearance, with “The Dream”.

There is one absolute stinker here, but it’s highly recommended! Attempting to mimic Waylon’s Outlaw attitude rather than his sound, Kenny Chesney and Kid Rock team up on a rendition of “Luckenbach, Texas” loaded with unintentionally comic and self-important asides. Up front, Kid Rock tells himself to “Revert to Hank, revert to Hank,” though it’s a conversion that seems not to take. Later, Chesney asks his partner, “Don’t you get the feeling that this is the way Willie & Waylon might’ve done it, about like we’re doing it, at four in the morning?”

Chances are you won’t get that feeling, but the track’s quite entertaining anyway.